Buran-Energia

For several days rumors have been circulating about the destruction of the Mriya (An-225). But now the news is confirmed on the Ukraine’s official Twitter account. The Mriya was destroyed during the capture of the airport of Gostomel. Indeed, the Mriya was parked there to be repaired following a damage on a landing gear suffered a few days earlier.

Detailed pictures of the attack:

Update of March 4:
A picture was just published were we can clearly see the front side of Mriya torn off.

Russian reportage, from the television channel ‘Pervi Kanal’, showing the damages at the Gostomel airport and especially the destroyed Mriya.

Source: Reddit, Twitter

During a ceremony the 27 of june 2017 RKK Energia annonced the relocation of the test shuttle Buran-KS in Sotchi.

Its destination is the Cirius parc of science and research, which is located in the former media center of the Sotchi olympics games, this parc aims to to promote Russian science, art expositions and ballets.

Transportation of the shuttle will take place in 29-30 june by truck to the port « Caucase » from where it will be loaded on a boat on July 3 to the Olympic port of Sotchi (arrival estimated on July 5).

 

Source: RKK-Energia

The famous ukrainian design bureau was liquidated on January, 27 2016 after a government decision. The three divisions that composed it will be affected to the state defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom, according to the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development. Indeed, those three divisions already joined the conglomerate Ukroboronprom last year so liquidating the design bureau is just putting things in order.

The design bureau was created by the ukrainian Oleg Konstantinovitch Antonov in 1946, it became famous by creating numerous
lights aircrafts like the AN-2 but also jumbo planes like the AN-124 and its big brother the AN-225.

Source: Tass.

On August 15 the interactif museum « Buran » opened, in the VDNKh parc.

The museum firstly shows a video explaining the Buran-Energia project, then in the payload bay pictures of the Buran’s assembly are shown, finally the visit ends with a view of the cockpit.

This shuttle is the test model OK-TVA which was moved last year in June 2014.

 

Source: rg.ru

At the begining of June Ralph Mirebs took beautifull pictures of the Burans shuttles OK-1.02 and OK-MT in the MZK building at Baikonur.

 

Last week he fought back and slipped inside the vertical test building of the Energia launcher. Actually there is inside a full-size mock-up of the Energia M launcher which was a less powerfull version of Energia intented for launching less massive satellites (34t instead of 100t in low earth orbit).

   

Source: Ralph Mirebs.

During the night 5 to 6 of July 2014 the Buran OK-TVA was transported from the Gorky park to the VDNKh park. It has been there since 1995 after being a restaurant, a tourist attraction and then a shelter for bicycles.

It is now in the VDNKh parc right in front of the Vostok rocket (the same used by Gagarine).

Soon will be an exposition inside the shuttle.

Has said in the previous article the OK-TVA shuttle will be moved to the VDNKh park, and as we can see on this picture the dismantling has already begun. It should take approximately one month.

The Moscow’s Mayor annonced yesterday in an Interfaks report that the Buran Shuttle OK-TVA will be moved from the Gorky Parc to the VNDKh (actually VVTs).

The definitive destination is not yet decided but should be the pavilion 20.

The dismantling of the shuttle will take one month after the final decision is taken.